Magic Mission
by Kate-chan15
Summary: Juvia is tired of being in a one-sided relationship with Gray Fullbuster, and she is only now realising that she is not dealing with unrequited love correctly. Its time to move on, but Gray has now realised that he loves her after all- he was just painfully oblivious. Gray has just two weeks to show her that he loves her. This could just be the most dangerous mission of his life.
1. Chapter 1

Gray looked sadly across the room; Lyon was leaning over where Juvia sat at a table, Lyon was touching her hair, tucking it behind her ear and saying something. Gray felt nauseous. Why was Lyon here anyway? He didn't even belong to the Fairy Tail guild!

Juvia wasn't exactly an innocent party though, as she smiled up at the young man. He was kind, and definitely cute. He was no Gray Fullbuster, but Gray had made it quite clear that friendship was the only thing on the cards, and Juvia loved him so much, she didn't want to annoy him- and maybe she had been annoying him, always following here, there and everywhere. The blue haired girl cringed at the thought of her being annoying to Gray- the man she loved so. Maybe it was best for everyone if she moved on to someone new, someone who would want her more than platonically. That was where Lyon came in.

Lyon could hardly believe his own luck, talking to the beautiful water mage who had captured his heart as soon as he caught sight of her. She was stunningly beautiful, sweet, intelligent, and interesting enough to keep his attention. He knew he was falling in love with the girl, but what was really painful was that he knew he would always be in competition with Gray- someone who was as close to a brother as Lyon would ever know. Part of Lyon wanted to tell Juvia he refused to be second best, but he was afraid of losing her, so he kept quiet, just enjoying her for now.

Juvia walked towards Gray, tapping him quickly on his shoulder and smiling fondly when he turned to face her. His eyes widened slightly, surprised to see her there. He wondered briefly where Lyon had gone. Gray had had to turn away and distract himself with a fight between him and Natsu. Rubbing his jaw, he thought of the punch Natsu had managed to lay on him, but, not to worry, because Gray punched him back twice as hard and shot icy daggers at his feet. Back to the present, Juvia was smiling at Gray, and Gray was finding it difficult to manage his thoughts. Her smile was so beautiful, and Gray was proud to know that he had been the one to make her smile, for the first time in a long while.

"How are you, Gray?" She asked, teetering on her feet. Lyon had kept her talking for a long time, while she looked over his shoulder at Gray, wishing it was Gray wanting to _woo _her. Still, she was simply glad when Lyon checked his watch and said he had to go- he had agreed to meet some friends from Lamia Scale. Juvia had been invited, and she got the impression that Lyon wanted to show her off to his friends, but Juvia had declined the offer, and as soon as he was gone, she was on her way to Gray.

Gray blinked twice at her question, trying to order his thoughts. He was sure he looked like a complete idiot, but Juvia almost couldn't contain her excitement at how adorable he was- _almost_. She smiled tentatively at the dark haired boy, awaiting an answer. Gray, who was quite content with simply looking at the girl, finally spoke, "I'm good." He nodded, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, "I saw Lyon over with you." He murmured, looking down at his feet.

Gray wasn't used to feeling jealous or upset when it came to matters of the heart. Hell, he wasn't even used to feeling anything beyond platonic admiration for the blue haired girl, but since his conversation with Erza, he couldn't stop from seeing the "rain woman" in an entirely new light. She was beautiful, and Gray could see now that she had liked him- that was why she was so crazy at times, not that he didn't find her insane antics strangely endearing. But she was only ever sane around him now. She smiled normally, he never saw her hiding behind bushes when he was on missions- and she wasn't constantly near him. He missed her somehow, and seeing her with Lyon (someone who actually appreciated her) felt like someone had stabbed him, and when she smiled at Gray and asked him how he felt, someone was twisting that knife painfully.

"Oh," Juvia blushed, "he said to say hello," she lied. He didn't mention Gray at all, which was odd to Juvia considering they were raised so closely, like brothers. Juvia hadn't ever had any siblings, but if she had, she would have loved them very much, and kept them close most of the time. Of course, Gray and Lyon weren't technically related- not by blood, at least- but they were the closest thing to family either of them had, so why did Lyon want to spend time with Juvia? And not Gray? "He had to rush off- he was meeting some friends."

Gray nodded, glad that Lyon hadn't said hello, because Gray might have wanted to fight him out of plain, bitter envy, "What were you talking about?" Gray asked curiously, unsure whether he really wanted to know, but he still had to ask.

"Nothing, really," Juvia said quietly. She didn't want to talk about Lyon- she wanted to talk about Gray, and why he was so curious about her conversations with other men. "I was thinking maybe we could go on a mission together," Juvia suggested. The idea had been in her mind for a while, and she adored the idea of alone time with Gray. Secretly, she hoped for a long job- some lasted weeks- few even spanned months. Oh, the idea of months alone with Gray, travelling the world. She thought of what might happen if they were alone, and Gray wondered why, all of a sudden, her face had flushed bright crimson.

"I don't know…" Gray said, not meeting her dark blue eyes for fear of buckling under the weight they held. "I agreed to take on a job with Lucy and Cana, and it'll last at least two weeks." That wasn't a lie, but he was sure he would be able to get out of those arrangements if he tried; nothing was set in stone. "Maybe next time?" he added hopefully.

Looking back at Juvia, he regretted his words, because she looked disappointed. She hid it well with a smile, saying "Sure," but Gray couldn't forget her melancholy eyes. They were still sad, but overshadowed by an obviously fake smile. Gray cast his eyes down again, sighing.

Juvia felt bad now, worse than Gray did. The torrential rain inside her was teamed with treacherous wind and she wanted to send a tidal wave across the room to where her two love rivals sat, quite happily. Why did Gray want to go on a mission with Can and Lucy and not Juvia? Juvia and Gray made a great team, their combined talents made them stronger together than alone. Sure, Gray hadn't mentioned the word "romantic", but all Juvia could picture now was the two girls trying to enjoy stolen moments with Gray; kissing, hugging, loving.

"Well, see you later." Juvia said, waving with one hand. She smiled vaguely and spun to walk away. Almost instantly, her smile was swapped with a fierce scowl. She stalked outside; unaware that Gray was groaning and watching her leave with regret.

Why did he turn her down? A mission between the two might be just the opportunity he needed to figure out what he wanted. Scratch that, he knew what he wanted; he just didn't want to admit it. Gray looked at her as she walked away speedily, her hair the colour of a summer's day as it swayed in the evening breeze. Gray groaned; he wanted Juvia Lockser; the rain woman; the phantom girl.

The next few days were quiet for Gray. He had pulled out of the mission with Lucy and Cana, and the two girls had replaced him twofold with Erza and Natsu. Juvia hadn't visited since Gray turned down her offer, but Lyon had stuck his head round the door and left as soon as he saw that the girl he was searching for was not in the Fairy Tail guild hall.

It was a Monday when Gray last saw Juvia, and it was Thursday when she finally showed her face again. Gray had felt relieved, and rushed to her at once. Her expression was priceless, shock and anxiety flooding her features. "Juvia, are you okay? Have you been ill?" Gray's eyes were filled with concern, and, being honest, he was hoping she had a cold or something, because he was worried that rejecting her offer had upset her enough to make her barricade her door for days at a time.

"No, I'm, erm, fine." Her answer sounded more like a question, and she saw the worry in Gray's eyes and wanted to sooth him. "Fine," she repeated, more definitively this time. "I just got caught up in… housework… reading, you know how it is." Juvia thought of her home, which had never been messier, and the books on her bedside table which hadn't been touched in months. She had unleashed all her frustration on her home, slamming things and throwing things, and then spending an entire day cocooned in her duvet in bed, only occasionally venturing out to find ice cream or chocolate.

Gray didn't seem to believe her, but he wrapped one arm around her shoulders and that calmed Juvia enough to stop her from worrying about him. She rested her head against him as they walked. It was moments like this one that stopped Juvia from moving on. Part of her wanted to push him away and tell him that he had hurt her, and she didn't want to see him anymore. The first part was as honest as the second was dishonest. She tried to speak calmly, "I thought you were going on a mission?" she asked.

Gray shrugged, "I cancelled." Gray led her to a table seating Natsu, Lucy, Levi, Erza and Happy. Gray sat next to Levi, opposite Lucy, and Juvia slid in next to Gray, looking across at Happy, who was hovering mid-air.

"Juvia!" a voice exclaimed. Both Juvia and Gray tensed, recognising the voice; Lyon. He came running towards Juvia, "Where were you? I've been looking for you all week!" Gray resisted the urge to snap at him that it had only been a few days.

"Oh, I was… busy." She looked away from Lyon, to her lap.

"Oh, well, that's fine, I guess." Lyon mumbled, "I wanted to ask you to go on a mission with me." Lyon beamed up at Juvia, "It'll last two weeks, and we'll have to travel for a few days too."

Gray looked between the two, than across the table at Erza, who was frowning. Juvia was about to answer, probably to agree, when Gray interrupted, "She can't." Juvia spun to look at Gray in surprise.

Lyon tensed, and looked coldly at Gray, who stuck to his guns.

"Juvia and I are going on a mission together. Right, Juvia?" Gray hadn't considered how Juvia would react to this. He hoped she would play along.

And play along, she did. "Yes." Juvia grinned at Gray, and he was momentarily stunned, "Sorry, Lyon." she looked at the white-haired boy, "I did already agree to go with Gray."

"Oh," Lyon shifted uncomfortably, "Well, maybe next time?"

Juvia smiled kindly, "Definitely." But both Juvia and Gray were hoping there wouldn't be a _next time_. After all, it only took one mission to build a new team- or, in this case, a partnership.

_**A/N: Hello, so, this is a story about my second favourite FAIRY TAIL couple (Gruvia)… I also have a story about LoLu. Stick around, I'll try to make it good! Bye, Kate xxx**_


	2. Chapter 2

"Are you ready to go yet, Gray-chan?" Juvia asked, watching the ice mage as he finished his drink. Juvia was watching him patiently- as patient as she had been two alcoholic beverages ago. Gray couldn't help being nervous- well, scared, actually. He had jumped on the idea of a Mission with Juvia, but only because he dreaded the idea of Lyon taking Juvia away from him. Now that it was _today_, he was less sure about the whole thing.

Natsu was sitting opposite the ice mage, frowning at the water mage, "I still don't get why I'm not allowed to come." He grumbled under his breath, like a child- always wanting to have the last word. Gray glared at him, and Natsu returned the gaze.

Natsu was irritated by the whole thing; Gray was part of his team, and together with Erza and Lucy, they were the best, _the strongest_. Natsu was starting to wonder if that meant the same thing to the others as it meant to him. Ever since Lucy and Loke started dating a few months back, she had been constantly busy. Erza was still investigating the whereabouts of Jellal- or whatever he went by these days- so she refused to go on any missions with the fire mage. And now Gray was off with Juvia. _Fantastic_.

Natsu was as curious about their relationship as anyone else in Fairy Tail, but if Gray and Juvia ever did get together and start dating, the group would be totally disbanded, and it would be solo missions for Natsu. Looking around, he guessed he could just go on a mission with one of his friends from Fairy Tail, but it wasn't exactly the same, and what Natsu wanted was an opportunity to be on the strongest team again. Huffing, he crossed his arms across his chest and pouted down at the table. Happy was away too- _with Carla_. Everyone was getting caught up in romance!

Juvia looked nice, Gray thought so at least. She wore her blue outfit; the skirt ending above her knees, the top fitted at her narrow waist and her tall, blue hat atop her head. Her hair flowed past her shoulders in gentle, soft waves; every strand a magnificent shade of blue, like the sky on a happy, sunny day. Her smile was kind and friendly, and Gray felt his chest constrict. _What on earth was going on with him?_ He wondered, _he hadn't noticed any of these things before, but now he couldn't forget them if his life depended on it._

"Yeah, I guess," Gray replied, "We probably should hit the road now." He nodded, looking miserably down at his glass. Maybe this was wrong… if it was right, surely it would feel easier. He wondered whether he had just been annoyed at Lyon for stealing her away, or perhaps it was just natural competition. Gray remembered how, growing up, the two had been in constant competition; over who was a better ice mage, over who Ur liked best- _everything_. Gray had thought that he had gotten over that petty competition since he joined Fairy Tail and realised that teams were stronger than individual mages. But maybe he had been wrong.

Gray felt dread in the pit of his stomach as he imagined a week alone with Juvia; she was a lot of work, and she always put Gray on edge. At the same time, he was very fond of the eccentric water mage. She was well-meaning, even if she did have a tendency to take things too far and even Gray- who was the first to admit to being oblivious to an awful lot- had to notice how _"fond"_ she was of him.

He looked up at her now, and his stomach twisted again. it wasn't from dread though, it was from the nervous butterflies beating away at the lining of his stomach with thin, fluttering wings. He swallowed. He sighed. He considered freezing her so he could make a quick, clean getaway. He stood. He picked up his bags, and he smiled slightly at the blue haired girl, "You ready?"

Her smile was so bright, Gray was temporarily blinded. "Yep!" she stood from her seat and was soon carrying a navy blue duffel bag in her hands, "All set, ready to go!" Gray smiled at her, _she is so cute_, he thought. She was innocent and naïve and loyal; Gray saw her- beautiful inside and out- and realised that there was no escaping reality; he did like her. He wanted her for himself, and couldn't stand the idea of her ending up with Lyon. He wouldn't let that happen. Determined to use this week to make progress in their relationship- _as that was what it was_, Gray assured himself. He grabbed his own duffel bag and the two left the Guild Hall, waving to their friends.

Lucy, Erza, Cana and Levi waved back, wishing them a good time; Gajeel nodded in their direction, a half smile pulling at his lips. Loke had strolled in just as Gray stood up, and as he walked to Lucy, he patted Gray's shoulder, "Good luck," he whispered quickly. Loke's mind was elsewhere though, remembering how he and Lucy had been away- sort of on a mission- when their relationship really kicked off.

Natsu was still pouting at his glass.

Gray and Juvia walked, almost in silence, to the train station. Juvia was smiling quietly down at her hands, which still both clutched the straps of her duffel bag. Gray was watching her with furrowed eyebrows. He may have drunk three beers, but he wasn't feeling even tipsy. He supposed he would in a bit. Juvia had only had one beer, and her cheeks were slightly flushed, her walking shaky. Gray smiled, _how cute, she's a total lightweight. _

The two bought their train tickets, and then sat down on their train, in a small, crowded carriage. Gray had put their bags above them, telling Juvia to sit down, that it wasn't any trouble. Juvia took the window seat, Gray next to the aisle. The seats were small and they were close together. Their shoulders touched, and as Gray tried to get comfortable, his leg brushed hers. Juvia was blushing, and trying to look very interested in a bus shelter outside their window. Gray looked at the headrest in front of him, though he could still see the pretty colour of Juvia's cheeks in his peripheral vision.

"We've got a long journey ahead of us." Gray said, still moving in his seat, trying to get comfortable, "The ticket man told me it's a three hour route." Gray clicked each of his fingers, and Juvia found herself staring at the lean, tapered hands. She was sure that every single part of him was handsome and perfect and gorgeous.

Juvia nodded. Gray was about to try and sleep, thinking that Juvia wasn't interested in conversation, when she spoke. Her voice was sweet and quiet and nervous, "Gray?" she asked hesitantly.

He opened his eyes and looked at her, turning his head, "Yeah?"

She was biting her bottom lip, and she was wringing her hands in her lap. Her eyes were wide, and it made Gray anxious. _What was she going to say?_ He wondered nervously. Gray swallowed, and gestured for her to speak, one eyebrow raised. She was blushing even more; "You, erm, you- why did you ask me to go on a mission with you?" she looked directly at his eyes.

It was Gray, now, who was flustered. A light blush had settled on his cheekbones, and Juvia smiled a little bit. _It was cute_, she thought, _seeing him like that_. "What?" he asked, unprepared and even more nervous.

She looked down at her hands again, "You were meant to be going on a mission with Cana-chan and Lucy-chan, but then you asked me…" she smiled shyly; she was happy he had asked her, but still… it was confusing. "Why did you ask me, and what are you hoping to get out of this mission?" she looked at his wide eyes, "I think I deserve to know what exactly I agreed to when I said I'd go on this mission with you."

Gray stared at her. He sure hadn't expected that… He always thought that Juvia liked him- _a lot_- and that she would be happy if he asked her to go on a mission with him. He hadn't thought that she would worry over "_what she had agreed to_". "I guess," Gray started warily, "I just wanted to go on a mission with you. The ne with Lucy and Cana wasn't really important, and I… I wanted to go away with you." Juvia was starting at him, surprise and shock evident in her features, so he continued before he lost his nerve, "I like you, Juvia, and I just want to see where things go…" he realised how it sounded; he had rejected her offer, than asked her to go away with him, then he told her- his long term _stalker_ (because there really wasn't another word for it) - that he liked her, and wanted to test the waters with her.

He wasn't sure whether she would, a) scream in joy and begin to plan their wedding immediately, or b) cry that he was being unfair.

He hadn't been aware that there was a secret option C.

Juvia smiled gently at him, and then snuggled down in her seat, still smiling. "We'll see how it goes, then." She agreed softly.

She was still smiling when she fell asleep, and it was then that Gray realised something.

Her smile was infectious; he couldn't stop his own lips from widening into a smile too.


End file.
